2007 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 6-22-2007 

# S et i a wan v . Atty Ge n U SA P r e c e de nt i al or N on-P r e c e de nt i al : N on-P r e c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 06-2892

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Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e and ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

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. F or mor e inform at ion, p le as e c ont a ct Be n j amin . C arl s on@l a

w . vi ll anova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " S e t i a wan v . Atty Ge n U SA" (2007). 2007 D e cisio n s . P ape r 893. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2007/893NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL I N TH E UN I TED STATES CO UR T

OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT N O . 06- 2892 RO Y S E T I AWAN, Pet i t i oner v. A TTO RN EY G EN ER A L O F TH E U N I TED STA TES,

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O n P et i t i on for R eview of an O rderof the B oard of Im m i grat i on A pp eal s N o. A 960- 264- 443 Im m i grat i on Judg e: H on . D on al d V . F erl i se Subm i tt ed Pur s uantt o T hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

J une 14, 2007 BE F OR E : M c KE E , S T AP L E T ON a n d NYGAA RD ,

C i r cui tJ udges ( Fi l ed: J une 22, 2007)2 OPI NI ON O F THE COURT

ST A PL E T O N , C i r cui tJ udge: R oySet i aw an pet i t i ons thi s courtforr evi ew of a f i nal or derof r emoval of the B o ard o f Im m igrati o n A p p ea ls ( B IA ). W e h av e jurisdicti o n u n d er 8 U . S . C . § 1 2 5 2 (a)(1), a n d we wi l l d e n yth e p e t i t i o n f o rr e v i e w. I S e tia w a n is 2 7 y e a rs o ld , a C h ri s tia n , a n d a n e th n ic C h in e s e c itiz e n o f In d o n e s ia . H e cam e t o the U nit ed S t at es fr om Indon esi a i n A ug ust20 00 , and recei ved a vis i t or’ s vi sa author i zi ng hi m t o s t ayfors i x m onths . Set i aw an over s t ay ed, how ever , and appl i ed for as y l um i n M ar ch 2003. O n A pr i l 30, 2003, the I m m i gr at i on and N atur al i zat i on Ser vi ce ( now the D epart m entof H om el and Secur i ty ) s erved hi m w i th a N ot i ce t o A ppearand i ns t i tut ed r emoval pr ocee di ngs agai ns thi m . Set i aw an conc eded r emovabi l i tyand request ed asy l um , w i thh oldi ng of rem ov al , and prot ect i on un der the C on ven t i on A gainst T or tur e ( C A T ) . A ft eran i ni t i al hear i ng i n 2003, the I m m i gr at i on J udge ( I J ) deni ed Set i aw an’ s appl i cat i on foras y l um as t i m e- barr ed. O n J anuary25, 2005, the I m m i gr at i on C our thel d a hea r i ng on Set i aw an’ s appl i cat i on forw i thhol di ng of r emoval and pr ot ect i on u n d e r t h e C A T , a t w h ic h S e tia w a n te s tif ie d a n d p re s e n te d e v id e n c e . A ccor di ng t o Set i aw an’ s t es t i m onyatthe hea r i ng, w hi l e he l i ved i n I ndones i a, he3

w a s s u b jec ted to d isc rim in a tio n , h a ra ss m e n t, i n su lts, an d p h y sic a l ab u se in In d o n e sia beca us e he i s C hr i s t i an and e thni c C hi nes e. H e t es t i fi ed thatw hen he w as a s m al l chi l d, his fam i l yhad his nam e chan ged from a C hinese nam e t o an Indon esi an n am e, becau se th e yth o u g h t th e p ro c e ss o f re g iste rin g h im f

o r sc h o o l w o u ld g o m o re sm o o th ly . H is f ri e n d s a n d c la s s m a te s w o u ld o c c a s io n a lly le t th e a iro u t o f h is b ic y c le tir e s to h a ra s s h im . W hen he w as 13, a gr oup of I ndones i an chi l dr en ca l l ed hi m names, pus hed hi m t o the gr ound, and damaged hi s bi cy cl e. Set i aw an al s o s t at ed thathi s fami l yow ns a bus company , and thattheyw er e oft en for ced t o paybr i bes and extr a moneyt o corrupt g o v e rn m e n t o f

f icia ls b e c a u se th e ya re C h in e se . In M a y1 9 9 8 , the re w e re p o lit ica l rio ts in m an yp arts of

Ind o n esia, an d ri o ters th row ing roc k s b rok e w ind o w s o n tw o o f h is fam il y ’s bu ses. S e tiaw a n a lso d e sc rib e d a Ju ly1 9 9 8 c o n f ro n tatio n b e tw e e n p a rish io n e rs o f h is chur ch and M us l i m s ata nea rbym os que. T he M us l i m s acc us ed Set i aw an’ s fel l ow p arishion ers o f m ak ing too m u ch n o ise an d d istu rbin g their pra y ers w h en the p arishion ers ro d e th e ir m o to rc y c les to c h u rc h . T h e f o llo w in g d a y , so m e o f

th e M u slim s w e n t to S e tia w a n ’s c h u rc h , b e a t th re e o f S e tia w a n ’s f

ri e n d s , a n d b u rn e d p a rt o f th e c h u rc h . A lth o u g h S e tiaw a n ’s f

e llo w p a rish io n e rs h a d re p o rte d p re v io u s in c id e n ts o f h a ra ss m e n ts to th e p o lice , the yd id n o t re p o rt th e Ju ly1 9 9 8 in c id e n t. Set i aw an t es t i fi ed thathe fe ar s r eturni ng t o I ndones i a bec aus e hi s chur ch maybe b o m b e d a n d h e c o u ld b e k ill e d , tho u g h h e a d m itt e d th a t h is f a m ilystill l iv e s in In d o n e siaW hen the B I A i s s ues an af fi r m ance w i thoutopi ni on, w e r evi ew the I J ' s opi ni on and 1 s c ru tin iz e its re a s o n in g . Sm riko v . A sh c ro ft , 387 F. 3d 279, 282 ( 3d C i r . 2004) ( ci t i ng D ia v . A sh c ro ft , 3 5 3 F . 3 d 2 2 8 , 2 4 5 (3d C ir . 2 0 0 3 ) (en b an c)). 4 a n d s t i l l o w n s th e b u s c o m p a n y. A tthe cl os e of the hea r i ng, the I J deni ed Set i aw an’ s cl ai m forw i thhol di ng of r emoval and hi s C A T cl ai m . A l though the I J found Set i aw an gene r al l ycr edi bl e, he s t at ed thatthe i nci dent s Set i aw an des cr i bed di d notamount t o pas tper s ecut i on, beca us e they w er e nots ever e enough, beca us e s om e of them w er e notm ot i vat ed byhi s r el i gi on or ethni ci ty , and bec aus e Set i aw an had notpr oven thattheyw er e comm i t t ed bythe go vernm ent orbyforces the g ov ernm ent i s unw i l l i ng or unab l e t o co ntr ol. T he IJ al so f o u n d th a t S e tiaw a n h a d n o t sh o w n th a t th e re w a s a re a so n a b le lik e lih o o d th a t h e w o u ld be per s ecut ed ort or tur ed i f he r eturned t o I ndones i a. T he I J found, how ever , that Set i aw an w as el i gi bl e forvol unt arydepartur e. Set i aw an appe al ed t o the B I A . O n M ay2, 2006, the B I A aff i r m ed, adopt i ng the I J ’ s deci s i on, and al s o aff i r m i ng the I J ’ s deni al of Set i aw an’ s as y l um appl i cat i on as t i m eb a rre d . S e tiaw a n p e tit io n s th is c o u rt f o r re v iew , ch a llen g in g o n lyth e B IA ’s d e n ial o f h is re q u e st f o r w ith h o ld in g o f

re m o v a l. II T h i s Co u r tr e v i e ws th e I J ’ s f i n d i n g s o f

f a c t f o r“ s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e , ” a n d we 1 w ill u p h o ld th e IJ’ s d e c isio n u n les s th e e v id e n c e “ w a s s o c o m p e lli n g th a t n o re a so n a b le fac t fi ndercoul d fai l t o fi nd the al i en el i gi bl e for. . . w i thhol di ng of r emoval . ” Li e v.5

A sh c ro ft , 396 F. 3d 530, 534 n. 3 ( 3d C i r . 2005) ( quot i ng I N S v. E l i as - Zacar i as , 50 2 U. S. 4 7 8 , 4 8 0 (1 9 9 2 )) . Set i aw an’ s fi r s tar gum enti s thathe es t abl i s hed hi s ent i t l ementt o w i thhol di ng of r emoval under8 U . S. C . § 1231( b) ( 3) thr ough hi s t es t i m ony— w hi ch the I J found cr edi bl e— thathe had s uffe r ed pas tper s ecut i on, and thathe w as ther efor e ent i t l ed t o a re b u ttab le p re su m p tio n th a t h e h a s a w e ll-g ro u n d e d f e a r o f f u tu re p e rse c u tio n u p o n h is re tu rn to In d o n e s ia , s ee G hebr ehi w otv. A t t ’ y G en. , 4 6 7 F .3 d 3 4 4 , 3 5 1 (3 d C ir. 2 0 0 6 ); 8 C .F .R . § § 2 0 8 .1 6 (b )(1 )(ii), 1 2 0 8 .1 6 (b )(1 )(ii) (2 0 0 7 ). S e tiaw a n a rg u e s th a t th e IJ e rre d in h o ld in g o th e rw ise . W e d isa g re e b e c a u se su b sta n tial e v id e n c e su p p o rts th e IJ’ s f in d in g s in su p p o rt o f

its c o n c lu sio n th a t th e in c id e n ts S e tiaw a n d e sc rib e d d o n o t co n stitu te per s ecut i on. O ne of the el ement s of pas tper s ecut i on i s thatthe i nci dent s of w hi ch the pet i t i oner c o m p la in s m u s t b e s o s e v e re a s to c o n s titu te th re a ts to lif e o r f re e d o m . See Li e v. A sh c ro ft , 3 9 6 F .3 d 5 3 0 , 5 3 4 -3 5 (3 d C ir. 2 0 0 5 ); Fa t i n v . I NS , 1 2 F . 3 d 1 2 3 3 , 1 2 4 0 (3d C ir . 1 9 9 3 ). N o t a ll p h y s ic a l h a rm c o n s titu te s p e rs e c u tio n , s ee V ociv. G onz al es , 409 F. 3d 607 (3 d C ir. 2 0 0 5 ); C h e n v . A sh c ro ft , 381 F. 3d 221, 235 ( 3d C i r . 2004) , and thi s courthas d is tin g u is h e d b e tw e e n p e rs e c u tio n a n d ra n d o m in c id e n ts o f m in o r c ri m e . L ie , 396 F. 3d at 536. W i th the pos s i bl e exc ept i on of the burni ng of the chur ch, the I J ’ s fi ndi ng thatthe in c id e n ts o f

w h ich S e tiaw a n c o m p lain e d w e re n o t su f f icie n t to c o n stitu te p e rse c u tio n is6

cl ear l ys uppor t ed bys ubs t ant i al evi dence . A notherel ementof pas tper s ecut i on, how ever , i s thatthe i nci dent s m us thave be en c o m m itt e d b yth e g o v e rn m e n t o r b yf o rc e s th e g o v e rn m e n t is u n w ill in g o r u n a b le to c o n tr o l. G a o v . A sh c ro

ft , 299 F. 3d 266, 272 ( 3d C i r . 2002) . T he I J ’ s fi ndi ng thatthe chur ch burni ng i nci dentdi d notm eetthi s r equi r ementi s s uppor t ed bys ubs t ant i al evi dence . A l though the fa i l ur e of Set i aw an’ s fel l ow par i s hi oner s t o r eportthe chur ch burni ng t o the pol i ce maybe ci r cumst ant i al evi dence thatthe governm entw as unw i l l i ng orunabl e t o pr ot ectthem from t hei ras s ai l ant s , the I J r eas onabl yfound thatevi dence i ns uffi ci ent , and found thatthe fa i l ur e t o cal l the pol i ce w as unr eas onabl e underthe c irc u m sta n c e s. A s th e IJ n o ted , S e tiaw a n tes tifie d th a t th e p a rish io n e rs h a d p re v io u sly r eport ed a r ock- thr ow i ng i nci dentt o the pol i ce, and Set i aw an di d notpr ovi de much i n the w a yo f e x p la n a tio n a s to w h yth e p a ri s h io n e rs d id n o t r e p o rt th e b u rn in g in c id e n t. M or eover , the otherdocument s i n the r ecor d, i ncl udi ng St at e D epart m entr eport s , r efl ect thatthe I ndones i an governm enti s notgener al l yi ndi ffe r entt o vi ol ence agai ns tC hr i s t i ans and ethni c C hi nes e. Set i aw an’ s s econd a r gum enti s thatr egar dl es s of w hetherhe has s how n thathe w as the vi ct i m of pas tper s ecut i on, he i s ent i t l ed t o w i thhol di ng of r emoval beca us e he has s how n thati s a patt ern orpr act i ce i n I ndones i a of pe r s ecut i ng a gr oup— C hr i s t i ans a n d e th n ic C h in e s e — o f w h ic h S e tia w a n is a m e m b e r. See 8 C . F . R . § § 2 0 8 . 1 6 (b)(2 )(i )- ( i i ) , 1208. 16( b) ( 2) ( i ) - ( i i ) . W e r ej ectthi s ar gum entbeca us e the I J ’ s fi ndi ng thatSet i aw an7

di d notm ake s uch a s how i ng i s s uppor t ed bys ubs t ant i al evi dence . A s the I J not ed, the S tat e D ep artm en t r ep o rt s an d o ther d o cu m en ts i n the re co rd sh o w that w h il e the re a re s om e part s of I ndones i a i n w hi ch ther e i s uncontr ol l ed vi ol ence i n w hi ch governm ent ac tors m ayb e c o m p li cit , tho se a rea s are n ea rl y1 , 0 0 0 m il es f rom the islan d o f Ja v a, w h ere Set i aw an l i ved. I n the l es s r emot e ar eas of I ndones i a, s uch as the i s l and of J ava, the governm enthas been c ons i der abl ym or e s ucce s s ful i n pr event i ng act s of r el i gi ous and ethni cal l y - m ot i vat ed vi ol ence and has m ade pr ogr es s i n r ece nty ear s t ow ar d pr om ot i ng r e l i g i o u s f

r e e d o m. III F o rth e f o r e g o i n g r e a s o n s , we wi l l d e n yS e t i a wa n ’ s p e t i t i o n f o rr e v i e w.